China is closing Tibet to foreign visitors ahead of the three-year anniversary of anti-government protests in western China.

Though travel through Tibet has often required special permission, tourists could arrange tours through select travel agents. Those avenues are now closed, as authorities have asked travel agents to no longer arrange trips through the region and visas are being denied.

In 2008, protests erupted in Lhasa on Mar. 14, just a few months before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Tibetan grievances with the Chinese government flared up and mass protests, along with looting and violence, ensued. While the official figures place twenty-two people killed as a result, reports still remain inconclusive regarding the actual number of people that died during the event.

According to the state-run Xinhua agency, some of the reasons cited for the closure include safety concerns of overcrowding due to the “grand ceremony [commemorating] the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet” and the “current cold winter weather.”

Because of the cold, March tends to be low seasons for tourists – and some in the area say the ban’s impact will likely be minimal. However, the Associated Press mentioned that the ban could last up to three months. (via the Guardian)

Erica Ho was previously a reporter for TIME in Hong Kong where she wrote about technology, pop culture and Asian international affairs. Before that, she worked at Gizmodo, Lifehacker and AOL. She now currently runs Map Happy, a travel-oriented site.